Swimming cap



March 11, 1947. H, B; RICHARDS ET AL SWIMMING CAP Filed May 19; 1944fiuerzfi'i z'e f Crag f dgj. j'iz'ckards' Patented Mar. 11, 1947iJNl'lED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWIMMING CAP Harvey B. Richards and MarieT. Crawford, Chicago, 111., assignors to Richards, Boggs & King, Inc.,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1944,Serial No. 536,308

The present invention relates generally to caps. More particularly theinvention relates to that type of cap which is adapted to be worn whilethe user or wearer is swimming or engaged in aquatic activities andserves as a medium for preventing the wearers hair from becoming wet.

One object of the invention is to provide a swimming cap which is animprovement upon, and has certain advantages over, previously designedcaps and is characterized by the fact that it is long lasting,effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and is capableof being produced at an extremely low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming cap whichcomprises a cap proper of waterproofed fabric and in addition a bandwhich is formed of moisture or water absorptive material, such aschamois, is surrounded by the margin of the cap proper and is adaptedwhen the cap is in use to fit tightly around the wearers head andprevent water from penetrating the interial of the cap proper andwetting the wearers hair,

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming cap of the lastmentioned character in which the channels band is adjustable as todiameter and is permanently attached to the cap proper.

Another obfect of the invention is to provide a swimming cap of the typeand character under consideration which comprises in addition to the capproper and the band a pair of tie strips which are connected to the backportion of the cap proper, are adapted to extend forwardly around theside portions of the lower margin of the cap proper and to have theirfront or free ends tied together and serve when in their operativeposition to compress the lower margin of the cap proper tightly aroundthe chamois band.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swimming cap of thelast mentioned type and character in which the cap proper is provided atthe front portion thereof with a pair of loops which are adapted to havethe front ends of the tie strips threaded therethrough and serve to holdOther objects of the invention and the various advantages andcharacteristics of the present swimming cap will be apparent from aconsidera tion of the following detailed description.

, 2 Claims.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specificationor disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a swimming cap embodying theinvention, a portion of the margin of the cap proper being broken awayin order to show the arrangement and location of the internal chamoisband, and the tie strips being shown before tying thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the cap illustratingin detail the manner in which the ends of the chamois band areadjustably connected together;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view showing the manner in which the rearends of the tie strips are connected to the rear portion of the capproper and illustrating the strips after they have been brought aroundthe side portions of the cap proper and the front ends thereof have beeninserted through the loops at the front portion of the cap proper; and

Figure 4 is a front perspective view showing the cap after the frontends of the tie strips have been tied together.

The cap which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred form orembodiment of the invention. It is adapted to be worn in connection withwater activities on the part of the user 01' wearer, serves, when inuse, to prevent the wearers hair from becoming wet and comprises a capproper 5, a sealing band B, and a pair of tie strips 1.

The cap proper is shaped so as fully to encompass or surround the topportion of the wearers head and is formed of waterproofed fabric. It isflexible, although not stretchable, and consists of an intermediatepiece 8 and a pair of side pieces Q. The intermediate piece 8 forms thecrown of the cap proper. The ends of the intermediate piece extenddownwards and are tapered, as shown in the drawing. The side pieces 9are located at opposite sides of the intermediate piece 8 and aresubstantially semi-circular in contour or conformation. They form thesides of the cap proper and have the upper and side margins thereofarranged in abutting relation with the side margins of the intermediatepiece 8." The abutting margins of the side and intermediate pieces aresurrounded by a pair of binding strips It of U-shaped cross section andare connected penetrating the cap proper.

preferably formed of waterproofed fabric and are together by stitching Hwhich extends through the binding strips and said abutting margins ofthe side and intermediate pieces of the cap proper. The lower margins ofthe side and intermediate pieces are substantially coplanar and arereenforced by way of a circular binding strip l2 of U-shaped crosssection. The latterbinding strip surrounds the lower margins of the sideand intermediate pieces of the cap proper and is secured in place bystitching E3. The cap proper the designated, respectively, by thereference numerals i4 and i5 and are releasably and adjustably connectedtogether by a snap fastener device it. or female part ii on the band endit and a pair of head equipped or male parts it on the band end E5. Themale parts are spaced laterally apart and are adapted to have the femalepart applied selectively to them. In connection with use of the cap thecentral portion of the band is placed against the wearers forehead andthe ends are then brought around the sides of the wearers head and areconnected together by the snap fastener device it. By applying thefemale part if of the device to either of the male parts 58 the ends ofthe band may be so connected that the band tightly encircles the wearershead. After the band is manipulated into position the cap proper swungrearwards until the margin thereof fully surrounds or encompasses theband 5.

The tie strips '5 serve, when the cap is in use, to compress the marginof thecap proper tightly around the chamois sealing band 6. They aredesig'nedas shown in the drawing, to surround the margin of the capproper and to have the front ends thereof tied together in a bowknot I9.The rear ends of the strips are spaced laterally apart and are connectedto the rear portion of the cap proper by way of the'rear ends of thestitching i l As shownin Figure 3 the rear ends of the strips aredesigned to cross one another in order, when the front ends of thestrips are tied together, the rear portion of the cap proper iscontracted. By contracting the rear portion of the cap proper inconnection with tying of .the tie strips the margin of the cap proper isbrought into ..ghtly compressed relation with the chamois band 5. Afterthe bandand cap proper are applied to the wearers head the tie strips 1,after crossing of the rear ends thereof, are brought forwards around theside portions of the cap proper and are then tied together at theirfront ends. By tightly-tying the front ends of the tie strips togetherthe band 6 is brought into clamped relation with the wearers head andforms a seal whereby water is precluded from The tie strips 1 are ofsuficient length so that the front ends thereof may be readiiy tied intothe bowknot i9.

Inv order to hold the tie. strips in place and :prevent them fromsliding upwards over the cap proper a pair of loops 2!) isprovided..1Such The latter comprises a socket equipped loops arepositioned laterally apart and are associated respectively with thefrontends of the binding strips H3. The ends of the loops are anchored to'thefront ends of the binding strips H! by the front ends of the stitchingH. In connection with application of the cap to the wearers head thefront ends of the tie strips l before tying thereof are inserted throughthe loops 20. They are then tied together to form the bowknot l9.

By reason of the fact thatthe rear ends of the 'tie strips are connectedto the rear portion of t the cap proper and the front ends of the tiestrips are held in place by the loops 2!] the tie strips are effectivelyheld in place and cannot slide upwards over the cap proper.

also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to thedetails set forth since these may be modified within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: V

1. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming cap comprising a capproper formed of flexible fluid impervious material and shaped to coverthe upper portion of the wearers head, a band forming strip of flexibleabsorptive material disposed within the margin of the cap proper,adapted to encircle the head of the wearer and having the centralportion thereof connected to said cap proper and its ends free andprovided with means for releasably and adjustably connecting themtogether, a pair of externally disposed tie strips having certain endsthereof connected to one portion of the margin of the cap proper andadapted when .the cap is in use to surround said margin and havethe'free ends thereof tied together, and a pair of externally disposedlaterally spaced loops connected to the portion of the margin of the capproper that is opposite the portion to which said certain ends of thestrips are connected, adapted to have the free ends of the stripsthreaded, respectively, therethrough, and serving when said free ends ofthe strips are threaded therethrough and tied to hold such ends in.place against the adjacent portion of the marginof the cap proper.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a swimming cap comprising a capproper shapedto cover the upper portion of the wearers head and formedof flexiblewaterproofed fabric, a chamois band forming strip disposedWithin the margin :of the cap proper, adapted to encircle the head ofthe wearer, having the central portion thereof connected to the frontportion ofthe margin of the cap proper and its ends free and providedwith means for releasably and adjus-tably con-' proper, and adapted tosurround said margin and to have the free ends thereof tied together atg 5 the front portion of said margin, and a pair of REFERENCES CITEDexternally disposed laterally spaced loops The following references areof record in the nected to said front portion of the margin of the me ofthis patent:

cap proper, adapted to have the free ends of the strips threaded,respectively, therethrough, and 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS serving Whensaid free ends of the strips are Number N Date threaded therethrough andtied to hold such ends 1,153, 37 Hellinga, Sept, 14 1915 in placeagainst the adjacent portion of the mar- 1 93,341 Loyer t 1 Nov, 27,1923 gin of the cap proper. 2,063,232 Davies Dec. 3, 1936 HARVEY B.RICHARDS. 10 2,192,080 Hock Feb. 2'7, 1940 MARIE T. CRAWFORD. 1,798,024McBride Mar. 2%, 1931

